The Ordon Festival
by XionRoxas1314
Summary: Ordon Village is having a festival. Who will Link take? Twilight Princess. Zelink.
1. Chapter 1 Troubled Ilia

The Ordon Festival

Chapter 1- Troubled Ilia

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

"Link! Show us again!" the three children chorused. Beth, Talo, and Malo had begged for Link to show off his sword moves so he agreed. He had just demonstrated the "helm splitter" on the scare-crow outside of his home.

"Link is SO awesome!" Beth exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"He's the coolest!" Talo agreed.

Malo just shrugged. "Eh."

"Link, can you teach me how to do that?" Talo asked Link eagerly, drawing his wooden sword.

"Sure," Link replied with a friendly smile. "But it's a little difficult."

"Yeah, only Link could do such a trick!" Beth proclaimed, snootily. Talo was about to protest when Colin walked up.

"Who invited _you_?" Talo exclaimed.

"I-uh...." Colin began nervously.

"Let him stay! I bet he could do Link's trick!" Beth insisted. Talo gasped.

"Yeah, right!" he exclaimed sarcastically. "And since when are you taking Colin's side? He's just a pathetic wanna-be!"

"Look who's talking!" Beth burst out.

"Ugh! Well if I could hit a girl, boy would you get it!" Talo shouted, clenching his fists. Link was about to interfere when Bo came up. Silence spread over the children.

"If, you don't mind, kids, I have to borrow Link for a bit. I need to talk to him," the mayor said.

The children groaned. "Okay," they agreed reluctantly.

"You can stay here and practice on the scare crow," Link informed. Then he and the mayor walked into Ordon Village.

"What's wrong?" Link asked Mayor Bo.

"Well, it seems Ilia thinks you hate her," Bo replied.

"How come?" Link asked casually.

"Well, she found out that Epona hurt her leg. And she thinks that you are hurting Epona on purpose because you hate her, Ilia that is," the mayor replied.

"Oh." Link said. "I don't hate her. She's my friend."

"I tried telling her that but she wouldn't listen. How's about you try," the fat man suggested.

"Um, okay..." Link agreed slowly. He then started for the mayor's house.

Inside her house, Ilia was sulking on the couch. Just then she heard a knock. "Go away!" she said miserably. But she reluctantly got up and opened the door when the knocking wouldn't cease. Much to her surprise, Link was standing there. "Oh...Link," she started nervously. "I didn't know it was you."

"Um, I didn't mean to hurt Epona," he apologized.

"Then you don't hate me?" Ilia asked hopefully.

"Um, no," Link replied.

"Wahoo!" Ilia exclaimed, giving Link a hug.

"Ugh, get off me!" Link thought, but just sort of eased out of Ilia's grasp. Then he walked away.


	2. Chapter 2 The Visitor

Chapter 2- The Visitor

When he got back to his house, he saw the children all standing in a huddle. They broke apart and turned to Link.

"We've decided to tell you," Talo announced.

"Tell me what?" the young hero inquired.

"That this person with a dark cloak came here. She asked where you were," Beth replied.

"How do you know it was a girl?" Talo exclaimed.

"Women's intuition," Beth answered with a smug smile. Talo just rolled his eyes. "And," Beth added. "What kind of guy would be named Zelda?"

"Zelda?" Link repeated stunned. "Why would she be looking for me? Did I do something wrong?"

"OMG!" Beth shrieked with delight. "I just realized! That was Princess Zelda! I gotta find her! She's probably my sister!"

"What'd she do after she asked for me?" Link questioned.

"When we told her you'd be coming back soon, I think she went to the spring to give her horse a drink," Colin replied.

"Thanks," Link told the children and headed to the spring. "I hope I'm not in trouble," he thought to himself. Then he halted right outside the spring entrance. His heart skipped a beat. There, face uncovered, stood Princess Zelda, giving her charcoal black horse some water. She looked radiant in the dappled light of the spring. After Link caught his breath, he nervously walked a little bit closer.

"There you go, girl," Zelda said, her horse drinking water out of her cupped hands. Then she noticed Link. She patted the horse's head and went over to the young hero. "Hi, Link," she greeted with a friendly smile.

"H-hi," Link replied nervously. "Am I in trouble?"

"In trouble? No...why would you think that?" the princess replied.

"Um, I don't know," Link told her. "Ugh, why can't I act normally around her," he thought. "I used to. What's wrong with me?" Then he said out loud, "Then why are you here?"

"Oh, I thought maybe I could visit you..." Zelda replied quietly.

"Oh! Thanks. How come guards aren't with you?"

"They let me come here by myself," the princess answered.

Link took a deep breath. He didn't want her to think he was nervous. "How are you?"

"Fine, I guess." Just then her horse whinnied, wanting attention. "Oh, this is Midnight," Zelda introduced her horse, stroking its mane. When Link reached over to pet the horse though, his hand landed on top of the princess'.

Link blushed. Awkward moment. "What's wrong with you, Link?" he scolded himself silently. "How is she different from any other friend?" Zelda looked up at Link, whose face was as red as a ripe Ordon Tomato ("Picked Fresh!" TM). She was about to say something when suddenly....

"OMG! It's Princess Zelda!" Beth squealed, rushing in. "I wish I were you!" Link quickly removed his hand from Zelda's. "I met you before!" the little girl continued. "I'm Beth, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Zelda recalled. "Nice to see you again. But, being royal isn't that great. You have to sit in a throne forever doing practically nothing and go to boring meetings and everyone depends upon you...."

Beth frowned. "Don't crush a little girl's dreams," Link whispered to Zelda.

"But a lot of things are great! Like all the um...clothes and being waited on hand and foot," the princess quickly added.

A smile reappeared on Beth's face. "I wish I were you!" she exclaimed again. Then suddenly she remembered something. "Oh, yeah, I meant to ask you this earlier, Link. You know the Ordon Festival tomorrow, well who are you taking?"

Link hadn't thought about it before. He definitely didn't want to take Ilia to the annual festival. "No one yet," he replied. Then he turned to Zelda. "Um, princess..." he began.

"Call me Zelda (stop calling me 'princess')," she told him.

"Um, Zelda...Well tomorrow is the annual Ordon Festival and I was wondering maybe if you were staying we could," he paused. "....go together," he finished quickly.

Zelda's heart leapt with excitement. A wide smile spread across her face. "I'd love to," she replied.

Beth gasped. "OMG! A princess! Here?" the little girl exclaimed. "But wait...Ilia said you were going to take her to the festival."

"Really? I never said that...." his voice trailed off.


	3. Chapter 3 Ilia's Letdown

Chapter 3- Ilia's Letdown

The door of the mayor's house opened and out came Bo and Ilia, rolling a large wooden table. "A little to the left," he instructed his daughter. They placed the table down and after Bo caught his breath, he lifted a few chairs off the porch.

Just then Colin came striding up to them, with his wooden shield held tightly in front of him, and wooden sword unsheathed. "Hey, Ilia!" he greeted. "I'm going to be just like Link."

"It takes a lot of courage to be like him, but I'm sure you will," Ilia replied confidently. "Speaking of Link..." But she was cut short by Beth, who excitedly raced up.

"Mayor!" she exclaimed. Bo turned around surprised. "Princess.....Zelda...is...staying.....here!" Beth screamed between gasps.

"Really?" the mayor asked, shocked. "Why come to a little village like this?"

"I don't know, but she's here. I last saw her at the spring!" Beth informed. Before anyone could say anything else, Link and Princess Zelda walked up.

"Is it true? Are you really staying here?" Bo asked the princess.

"Well, I came to deliver this letter but since there's going to be a festival I thought I might lengthen my visit," Zelda replied. Then she paused, and let out a disappointed sigh. "Actually, I don't think I will be able to stay, because I have no where to stay. So here's the letter...." she handed it to the mayor.

"Nonsense, you can stay with us!" he insisted, receiving the envelopes. "I can sleep on the couch downstairs, Ilia can use my bed, and you can use her's."

"Well if it's not too much trouble..."

"Not at all," Bo reassured. "I'll show you inside." Then he turned to his daughter. "Ilia, you keep working, I'll be right back.

As soon as the mayor and the princess were inside, Beth turned to Colin. "Wanna go fishing?" she asked.

Colin looked surprised. "You really would?"

Beth nodded. "My father got me a fishing rod yesterday."

"Okay!" the little boy agreed, and the two ran off.

"So, Princess Zelda's staying for the festival?" Ilia asked Link as she rearranged some wild flowers in a vase.

"I...guess so," Link replied.

"I wonder if she's going alone. Maybe Fado..." but the young hero interrupted her.

"Actually, I'm taking her," he told her.

"What? I thought you were taking me!" Ilia exclaimed.

"I said that?" Link wondered.

"Yeah! I asked you and you said sure!" she reminded.

"No, Colin was asking if he could borrow my slingshot then and I agreed. I know you were asking something at the same time but I didn't hear you. Then you walked away so I figured it wasn't anything important." he informed.

"So you asked the princess..."

"Yeah, I don't know why she agreed, I'm just a farm boy and she obviously doesn't really like me....does she?" he wondered.

"She only agreed because you're a hero!" Ilia exclaimed. "Its good publicity to be seen with the hero. She obviously doesn't have any feelings for you!"

Link sighed. "I guess you're right."

"So can you take me?" the mayor's daughter asked.

"Well, I already promised Zelda I would take her," Link replied.

"Oh. But I thought we were friends?"

"We are...its just..."

"She means more to you?" Ilia inquired sadly.

He let a long sigh. "I don't know. I guess," he answered quietly.

"Well good thing she isn't staying long!" she exclaimed. "And don't come crying to me when she makes it clear to you that she has no interest in you! To her, you're just a smelly farm boy that got lucky. But to me..." But she was interrupted by the door opening and her father coming out.

"Ilia, could you see if we have any goat cheese left in the ice box?" Bo asked his daughter.

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly and went inside.

"Was she giving you a hard time?" Bo asked Link.

"Sorta," was the hero's reply.

"Yeah, she's been acting strange lately. I don't know what's gotten into that girl," the mayor told him.

"Hey, um, if you don't need my help here I was hoping to give Zelda a tour of this place..." Link started.

"Go ahead. She's inside," Bo replied, spreading a raspberry red table cloth on a table.


	4. Chapter 4 Questions

Chapter 4- Questions

Inside the house, Ilia was conversing with the princess. "So you're friends with Link?" she asked.

"Well, sort of I guess. I know you two are friends," Zelda answered.

"So how long have you known him?" questioned the mayor's daughter.

"Hmm, I don't know...about a month or two."

"Sorry for being nosey," Ilia apologized.

"No, its fine," she reassured her. Then she changed the subject. "Your friend is very brave. Link, that is."

"Yeah, he is," Ilia agreed. "Link was always there for me....and everyone else. It was kind of him to offer to take you to the Ordon Festival."

"Yeah. But I'm surprised he's not taking you. You've known him way longer than I have," Princess Zelda said.

"Yeah well we're just friends. Sorry, but I just have to ask, is there anything between you and Link?" Ilia inquired bravely.

"I...." but Zelda was cut short by the door opening, and Link entering.

"Well, I have to give this cheese to Daddy, nice talking to you," Ilia said to the princess and then left.

"Um, Zelda," Link began. "Do you want me to show you around the village and introduce my neighbors to you?"

"Sure, if it's not too much trouble," Zelda replied.

"Okay, c'mon," and the two headed out the door.


	5. Chapter 5 Secret Feelings

Chapter 5- Secret Feelings

"I hope you were nice to the princess," Bo told Ilia.

"Of course, Daddy, that rotten basil I had has gone out of my system and has stopped affecting me," she replied, proudly.

"Good girl. Now help me by finding decorations while me and Rusl set up the rest of the tables and chairs. Try the Ordon Spring for some wild flowers," he instructed. "Here's a basket to put all your finds." After he handed her a straw-woven basket, he went back inside the house.

Ilia sighed and headed for the spring, talking softly to herself along the way. "This'll be the first Ordon Festival where Link and I haven't gone together. Maybe if I tell him my feelings he'll reconsider taking me. To think, I had only liked him as a friend until I regained my memory. He was always so nice to me. I really thought he liked me. As more than a friend. I was hoping we would one day..." she burst into tears. "Oh, what's the matter with you, Ilia? You have no proof that Link and Zelda like each other. Stop jumping into conclusions!"

Before she knew it she had arrived at the spring. All too quickly she started cheering up. "This place brings back good memories," she told herself. Her eyes scanned the beautiful spring in search for some decorations. Then something caught her eye. Horse whistle grass! "Hmm...since this is our tenth annual festival, I think we could use this horseshoe-shaped plant." She swooped down to pick some. After placing a few blades of whistle grass in her basket, she heard a noise. It was Link's voice.

"...And this is the way to the Ordon Spring," Ilia heard Link say. She guessed he was showing Princess Zelda around the village.

"Just a friendly gesture, just a friendly gesture," Ilia repeated over and over in her mind as she searched for a place to hide. Then she spotted the tunnel in the side of one of the rock walls. "Good enough for me," she told herself, and quickly hid from view.

As Link and Zelda entered, the young hero said, "I don't even know why I am showing you this, you've been here before."

"Yeah, but I probably haven't seen everything here.....like that rock over there," she pointed to a tiny pebble, lying in the water.

"Thanks for making me feel better but I just don't think I'm fit to be escorting royalty," Link told her glumly, looking down at his boots.

"Yes you are!" she reassured him. "This has been fun!"

Link looked up at Zelda, surprised. "Really?"

The princess nodded. "Thank you. So....is there any story behind this place?"

"Well...." he began."I helped Rusl teach Colin how to swim here. And um this is where I wash my horse."

"Link.....do you mind if I ask you something?" Zelda inquired, changing the subject.

"Sure, anything."

"Well..............how come you asked me to the Ordon Festival instead of Ilia?" she asked after a deep breath.

"Well, because I take her every year and you are..." he began.

"Is it because I'm royalty?" she questioned with a frown.

Link shook his head. "You're my...friend...and, um, it would be rude to ignore you while you visit here."

"But would you rather take Ilia...." then Zelda stopped. "I'm sorry for all these questions!"

"No, its fine, really. And well, Ilia is my childhood friend but you are also a really good friend. And I've really want to get to know you better. And what I'm trying to say is...." Link paused. And silently, he leaned over and kissed the princess on the cheek.

Ilia, who had been watching this all from her hiding place, felt like to scream. "So he does like her! Well maybe she'll slap him! Oh, I can't watch!" she backed out of the tunnel to the outside of the spring and ran home in tears, carrying a basket of soaked whistle grass.


	6. Chapter 6 The Truth

Chapter 6- The Truth

Little Colin strode up to Mayor Bo, with a monster fish in his hands. Bo, who had been placing napkins at each seat at one of the tables, paused. "Look what I caught!" the little boy exclaimed.

"Now that is the biggest salmon I have ever seen!" the mayor commented. "How did you ever catch it?"

"Well," Colin began shyly, staring down at his bare feet. "It was an accident. Beth and me were fishing and our hooks got tangled up and the salmon thought it was a small fish so it bit it. So I guess both of us caught it."

"Amazing! What are you going to do with it?" Bo asked as he finished placing the last blue napkin on the table.

"Well, we were hoping you could cook it for the festival. Maybe you could use all the fish we catch," Colin suggested, handing the fish to him.

"Well, we were going to have the older men go fishing later, but...why not?" he replied, accepting the fish in his arms. "Boy, this is heavy!"

"Well I'm going to get back to fishing with Beth, see you later!" the little boy exclaimed before running off.

After giving the salmon to Rusl to cook, Bo started picking some wild flowers. "Looks like Ilia's just going to disobey her pa and...." but he stopped when he noticed Ilia coming down the road with a horrified look on her face."Finally! What took you so long?" he asked his daughter, taking the basket from her. "Only whistle grass? Oh, well, you tried."

Ilia just stayed silent and headed for the house. Just before she got in, she noticed Link. "Maybe Zelda slapped him," she thought. "Well, there's only one way to find out!" She headed toward Link, trying to act like she hadn't been spy on him and the princess. "Hey, Link!" she greeted warmly.

"Oh, hi," Link replied, not so warmly but trying to be nice. Then Ilia noticed something red on his cheek. Lipstick?

"Link, what's that on your cheek?" she questioned. He wiped his cheek and then blushed.

"Oh," he said. "Um..."

Ilia felt like to cry. "So, Zelda does like you! I knew it!" she exclaimed, sad.

"I..."

"Well, Link. It's time you know my true feelings for you. Link, I love you!" Ilia confessed.

"Yuck!" Link thought. "How can I put this to her nicely?" Then he said out loud. "Well, I'm sorry....but I don't feel the same way about you."

"What? Why not! I'm the complete package! Looks! Brains! You, dork, should be so lucky!" and with that, she slapped him and walked away.

Just then Colin walked up. "What was all that yelling about?" he asked the young hero.

"Ilia was just in one of her moods again," Link replied.

"How come?" Colin inquired.

"She's angry 'cause I don't love her."

"Oh. Um...if you don't mind me asking, are you friends with Princess Zelda?" the little boy asked, bashfully.

A shy smile spread across Link's face. "Yeah," he replied. "Better friends than I thought."

"Ohhhhhhh," Colin smiled sheepishly. "Where is she?"

"Ah!" Link exclaimed. "I was so embarrassed I ran away!"

"Embarrassed about what?" he asked his older friend.

"Um.... (I let that slip out?) Nothing...never mind, I gotta go!" he said then raced off.


	7. Chapter 7 The Midnight Argument

Chapter 7- The Midnight Argument

When Colin got back to where he and Beth were fishing, he noticed that Beth's rod was out of the water. "I've decided," she began. "That I'm going to move to Castle Town. I'd have a much better chance of becoming a princess that way."

Colin had mixed feelings when he heard this news. He was incredibly sad and a little angry. "What? You can't leave! I l...." then he put his hands over his mouth.

"You what, Colin?" Beth asked, batting her eye lashes.

Colin's face turned a bright red. "Um...never mind. I don't really feel like fishing, anyways, and it's getting late, so I better be getting home. Could you deliver all the fish to the mayor?"

"Sure," Beth answered. Then Colin walked off. "I wonder what's wrong?" the little girl asked herself.

Night fell over the little Ordon Village, as the stars glistened from above. Everybody had gone to sleep, except for Ilia. "Ugh, why do I have to share my room with that man stealer? Zelda is stupid!" she thought to herself. "If I can't sleep, why should she?" she looked over at the bed across the room where Princess Zelda lay silently, fast asleep. "Back off! Link's mine!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. Zelda woke up abruptly and sat up.

The princess rubbed her eyes sleepily. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"What I mean is you can't have him!" Ilia replied, sharply. "He's mine!"

"Did he ever agree to that?" Zelda questioned sleepily. "And there's really nothing between us."

"There isn't? Then how come you kissed each other on the cheek?"

"Oh, you saw that. Well, I'm not sure he really likes me, he never told me," the princess told the mayor's daughter.

"Well, duh, he wouldn't tell you, he's a shy idiot!" Ilia exclaimed. Then she lowered her voice. "And plus, he's a commoner. You have no chance with him. If the royal guards found out, you'd be busted."

Zelda sighed. "I know. But we're just friends right now. I don't see how they could object to just a plain, simple friendship. Besides, we haven't even kissed...."

"And on the cheek is as far as you'll go! If I ever catch you with _my_ Link again, I'll tell the royal guards!" Ilia threatened.

"Not to brag or anything, but did you know you're talking to a princess?" Princess Zelda reminded, insulted.

"You still have boundaries, missy! And mark my words, Link is too plain for you!" the snob snorted.

Zelda just rolled her eyes, and lay back down, her mind buzzing with thoughts. She had never really thought about how the guards would react if Link and her were more than friends. Maybe she just had to forget about him.


	8. Chapter 8 Good Morning

Chapter 8- Good Morning

As soon as the rooster crowed the next morning, everyone in Ordon was up. They were putting the finishing touches on the set-up for the festival. Link wasn't as early to getting up as the rest of the village, though. Even after a good number of pounds on the door, he still refused to get up. Even when Colin burst in and climbed the ladder to where the young man was sleeping, Link just wouldn't even open his eyes.

"Link, get up!" Colin exclaimed. "It's the festival today! Aren't excited?"

Link just hugged his pillow tightly, mumbling a few things.

"Link!" the little boy yelled. "C'mon! Get up! Aren't you excited about taking Princess Zelda?" Link just mumbled something sleepily and buried his face deeper into his pillow. Colin went over to the other side of him, lifted his feet, and started tugging. "C'mon!" he exclaimed, struggling to get the grown man on his feet. He started dragging him towards the ladder.

"No!" Link protested, grabbing hold of the railing and holding on tight. "I'm never going out there!"

"Why not?" the little boy inquired as he struggled to get Link to loosen his grip.

"'Cause! I made a fool of myself!" the young hero replied, still clinging to the rail for his life.

Colin finally gave up and dropped Link's feet. After catching his breath, he asked, "How? What happened?"

Link scurried back to his bed and snuggled under the covers. "Yesterday, I ran away 'cause I was embarrassed and when I went back to the spring she was gone. And I don't want to face her. She'll think I'm a coward." He thrust his face back into his pillow.

"No she won't," Colin insisted. "If you stay in too long she might get worried and come look for you. And you don't want her to see you like this." He had a point. Link's golden hair was parted in two different directions and had a few knots. He was clothed in cream-colored pajama capris and fluffy, white socks. He had a very tired expression on his face. But when the words Colin had spoken finally managed to reach his sleepy brain and comprehend them, Link flew out of bed and started stripping. "Ew, not in front of me!" Colin complained covering his eyes. "I'll wait for you outside." He then disappeared down the ladder.

Outside, Colin eyed the scare-crow, mischievously. He drew his wooden sword and started slashing it. Just then, Princess Zelda strolled up. Colin froze. He didn't know what to do in the presence of royalty. "G-good morning, your highness," he said with a bow.

"Oh, you must be Colin," Zelda said with a friendly smile. "And you don't have to be all formal, I don't mind. Just treat me like a normal Hylian. Call me Zelda."

"Y-yes your highness...I mean Zelda," Colin stammered. Then he relaxed a bit. "How'd Ilia treat you?"

"Yech! She kept me up all night telling me that Link was her's. She's under the impression that there's something between him and me. Which there isn't...I think," Zelda answered.

"Um, well, Link feels embarrassed for some reason so he didn't want to get up..." Colin began but the door then swung open and Link walked out. A shocked expression came on his face when he saw Zelda.

"Oh, good morning, princess....I mean Zelda," the young hero stammered.

"Good morning," she returned with a smile.

"Um, I'm going to see if Mayor Bo needs any help," Colin excused himself and dashed away. An awkward silence crept between the two.


	9. Chapter 9 FatherDaughter Talk

Chapter 9- Father-Daughter Talk

"What's the matter, Ilia?" Mayor Bo asked his daughter who was glumly sitting on the front porch. "Are you ill?"

"No! Its just I'm angry. At Princess Zelda for taking my Link," she replied, staring at her bare feet.

"Taking Link? They're just friends," Bo told her.

Ilia looked up at him. "You may think this is all there is," she began. Then, leaning closer, in a lower tone of voice she finished, "but what if there's more?"

Bo rolled his eyes. Just then Colin came skipping up. "Hey, mayor, do you need any help?"

The mayor stroked his chin. "Well....we are short on decorations...do you think you can find some more?"

"Sure," Colin replied cheerfully, and then skipped away.

Bo turned back to his daughter. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Link has lots of friends, he just...."

"But he kissed her!" Ilia interrupted, close to tears.

"He kissed her?" Bo repeated, shocked.

"Well, on the cheek."

"That doesn't mean anything," the mayor reassured her. "They're just friends."

"But I told Link I love him and he turned me down!" the mayor's daughter sobbed.

"(Can't win 'em all) Well don't make him hate you!"

A while later, Colin came striding back up with something in his hand. "Look what I found in the Faron Woods!" he announced proudly, lifting the plant in his hands for Bo to see.

The mayor was astonished. Mistletoe? In the middle of July?"

"Can we use it (just keep Ilia out of under it)?" Colin pleaded.

"Why not?" Bo agreed, taking the parasite. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Then Colin happily skipped away.


	10. Chapter 10 The Festival

Chapter 10- The Festival

That night the village was buzzing with excitement. Everyone was dressed up in the best clothes they had. People were mingling, laughing, eating, and dancing as merry fiddle music filled the cool, crisp air. Link stood impatiently outside of the mayor's house, waiting for Princess Zelda to be ready. Ilia then walked up to him.

"Are you sure you won't take me?" she asked.

"Positive," Link said, hoping to escape the conversation.

"But I love you!" Ilia protested.

"Please, stop, that's the 57th time! I already told you, I don't love you! You're a good friend, but not _that_ good," he told her, clearly.

Just then, the door open and Princess Zelda walked out. She wore a brilliant wine-colored evening gown and her long, golden brown hair spilled over her shoulders. But no crown was worn upon her head. "You look....beautiful," Link said, amazed. He hadn't realized he had said that out loud.

"Thank you," Zelda smiled sweetly. "You look handsome."

Link's face turned bright red. Ilia was like a steaming pot. The hero and princess walked over to a table and took a seat. "This is sure a lovely evening," Zelda commented.

Back on the porch, Ilia was still deciding what to do. "Maybe if I tell him I love him again..." she suggested to herself. So she walked up to their table, though they didn't notice even notice her.

Just then Colin came up to the two, smiling ear-to-ear. "Hey guys," he whispered. "Look up." What Link and Zelda saw when they looked up was beautifully decorated hanging mistletoe.

"It's not Christmas," Zelda said. "Where'd you find this?"

"Faron Woods. You know what it means?" Colin eyed the two mischievously.

Link turned brighter red than ever. So did Zelda. Colin just kept smiling at them. "I guess it'd be alright," Link thought.

He gently placed his hands on her face and, mustering up all the courage he beheld, placed his soft lips upon her's in a tender kiss.

They soon separated, both blushing. "Um.....Zelda..." Link began shyly. "I...like you."

"I like you too," Zel replied. Then they heard merry laughter from Bo.

"And Ilia thought you loved each other! Well it's plain to see that you just like each other, " laughed the fat mayor.


	11. Chapter 11 Good Night

Chapter 11- Good Night

After the festival had ended and everything was put away, Link escorted Princess Zelda to the porch of Mayor Bo's house.

"How....did you like the festival?" Link asked her nervously.

Zelda smiled radiantly. "I loved it! I've never had so much fun at any royal festivals!"

Zelda's warm smile seemed to melt all of Link's anxiety away. "I'm glad you liked it. I did too." He stared at her, blushing and wondering if he should ask her what his heart was telling him to. Finally, he succumbed to his heart's desire, took a deep breath and asked, "Do you want to come riding with me tomorrow?"

Zelda's heart leapt. She grabbed Link's hand and squeezed it gently. "Sure," she told him, smiling, Then, surprising Link and _herself_, she leaned forward and gave Link's lips a quick smooch. When she realized what she had done her face turned a deep shade of crimson and she quickly retreated into Bo's house. Link just stood on the porch, dazed.

"I love you, Zelda," he said aloud, even though he didn't think Zelda could hear him.

But Zelda did hear him through the open window and replied happily, "I love you, too."

Link was so overjoyed to hear that that he forgot to go back to his tree house and he curled up on the step and went to sleep. And in his sleep he dreamt of his one, true love: Princess Zelda.

THE END


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